Most modern businesses rely heavily on technology to complete day-to-day tasks and communicate with their workforce. In fact, a recent investigation by Statista found 59% of people used the internet for work. As such, maintaining your devices is very important, otherwise productivity can suffer.
However, if you do not have the budget to invest in new devices on a regular basis, there are ways to make the most of the equipment you already have. Here are some suggestions:
- Update whatever equipment is truly essential.
Sometimes not updating your devices or computers can be a false economy. For instance, if many of your competitors are using a more advanced software or device and it’s giving them a competitive edge, then you may just have to take a deep breath and invest in it unless you can find an alternative. Likewise, if your devices are a hacker’s heaven because they’re running on software that’s so outdated, then again, you may need to invest in software or hardware upgrades.
Take a good look at your devices and see where there truly is no alternative but to upgrade. Once you’ve done this, you know what kind of financial outlay you can’t avoid, and you can move on to the next step.
- Use cloud solutions
Cloud solutions can help you enhance and modernise your business devices without investing too much money. Cloud computing and cloud storage are increasingly popular and also carry the added bonus that they can be accessed remotely – making them ideal for companies that have staff working off-site.
Cloud computing can give you access to up-to-date software quicker, easier and cheaper. This software doesn’t need to be bought or installed physically by you, saving you time and space and well.
Cloud storage means that your data is kept off-site, in the Cloud. The more data kept off-site the less data a cybercriminal can obtain if they break into your system. Also, Cloud providers normally have excellent cybersecurity in place, meaning that’s one less thing you need to worry about.
- Backup all your data
If you lose data, this can be very costly to your company and cause serious disruption. You can lose customer records, order details, financial records and so much more. If this causes disruption to your services, your clients may lose confidence in your company and go elsewhere, further compounding the damage and loss.
Backing up your data, either in the cloud or onsite, is essential. This is particularly important on old devices which are prone to crashing or having memory issues.
Cloud backup is useful as it lets you save and retrieve data online from any location. Even if your business floods and your devices are ruined, your staff can access your data easily and continue to work from a remote location.
- Train your staff
Know your devices well and know exactly what they can do. Use a live webcast platform to teach all your staff how to use your devices and maximise their potential. Also, make sure that they know the best way to protect the devices from cyber threats such as phishing, ransomware and data breaches.
If you follow these tips, you should be able to run your company efficiently on older devices.
